The Game of Love
by Leaena
Summary: When Lily Evans becomes Head Girl, she gets a chance to work alongside her crush of two years: James Potter, a.k.a Mr. Perfect. The problem? James treats her like a little sister. How can she get him to notice her in the way she notices him?


Disclaimer: I am not, nor will I ever be J.K Rowling, the Queen of Literature, the One of the Ultimate Muse, the Head Witch Herself. :P  Although I wish I could rival her, I don't. Honestly, if you think from reading this that _I'm_ Joanne Kathleen Rowling, then you've obviously never read Harry Potter . . . 

**The Game of Love**

Chapter One

Lily Evans was a pretty, intelligent seventeen year old. She was top in most classes at school, and she had plenty of friends. In fact, Lily could have passed off as the average teenager, if she wasn't a witch, who spent most of her year learning magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Lily was currently sitting at a vanity in her room, scrutinizing her reflection.

A slender, short girl stared back at her. Her blood-red hair hung past her shoulders, straight as a board; large, bright green eyes gave her an odd, constant sorrowful look. 

Lily dabbed crimson nail-polish – to show her Gryffindor colors – on a last empty spot on her thumb nail and blew on it. She had to look _perfect_. This was her last year at Hogwarts, and she had to make a good impression as Head Girl. 

"LILY!"

She sighed. "Just a minute, Mum!"

"You're going to miss the train!"

At those words, Lily immediately shifted into "RUN!!" mode and went scrambling around her bedroom, gathering a few last minute things: a Muggle book she was reading, a quill left lying on her bed beside her diary, her cat, Laksha, and, finally, the gleaming Head Girl badge.

Gingerly, she lifted it from its resting place on a shelf. It was polished till it gleamed like a diamond and was as clear as a mirror. She gave it a last wipe (to clear a speck of dust she thought she saw), and clattered down the stairs.  

Lily's arm was almost wrenched from its socket as she dragged her heavy trunk down the staircase. She had a _very large collection of schoolbooks this year (all to prepare for the N.E.W.T.S, the test she would have to take at the end of this term), plus several books she had picked up for a "light read". Many of them had nearly a thousand pages long. _

"I'm coming! I'm coming! How much time do we have _yeeeek_!" Lily yelped as she tripped; her trunk threw her off-balance, and she slid down the steps. Trunk and cat basket – thankfully empty – went clattering down to the floor, landing with an enormous THUD. 

As she picked herself up, rubbing a rather sore rear, her mother poked her head around the corner, unsurprised. Lily was very clumsy.

"Are you alright?" she asked, tidying her hair.

"Yeah," Lily grumbled, and shot the staircase her best "10 points from Slytherin!" evil look. 

"Did I hear another graceful ballerina take a fall?" 

Lily rolled her eyes and moved to lift her trunk, but her father was already there, grinning jovially, as always. 

Lily slapped him on the arm affectionately. "I'm no ballerina. I'm as graceful as an Ironbelly! A breed of dragon," she added when her father gave her a perplexed look.

At the word "dragon", Petunia spun around, lips pursed. Lily briefly wondered how she had missed her; her older sister had parked herself on the couch, eyes fixed on the television screen where Cornelia and Blake seemed to be going through a very emotional breakup. 

"You know, 'Tunia, you really should get that fixed," Lily said, referring to her sister's now furiously twitching eye. "Oh, wait, here, I know a charm that'll fix that right up . . . "

Petunia positively screamed bloody-murder and fled the room, yelling about freaks and her sister trying to kill her. Lily gave her parents an angelic smile as she twirled her wand idly. 

"So, I suppose we'd best be going!" 

_____

About an hour later, Lily and her parents had arrived at the train station, and were standing between platforms nine and ten, bidding a tearful goodbye to one another.

"Be good, Lily," her mother said, giving her daughter a smile. Why did she even bother? Lily had never gotten in trouble . . . well, there _was_ that incident in her third year, but we won't get into that right now. "You'll make a wonderful Head Girl!"

Her father pounded her on the back so hard that she nearly knocked her chin on her trolley. "Do good on those whatchamacallits. N.E.W.S? And be a good Head Girl. They couldn't've picked a better girl for the job!"

"Thanks, Daddy. And I'll be good! But now I must bid you adieu!" She kissed both of her parents on the cheek, got last minute hugs, and dashed through the barrier between the two platforms to emerge on Platform 9 ¾. 

How she had _missed_ this place! 

It was just as it had been every September for the past six years, and now seven. The scarlet steam engine that Hogwarts students rode to the school was spewing billowing clouds of steam into the air. Cats meowed to one another from baskets, owls hooted or slept with their heads tucked under a wing. People were all around her, rushing, waving, saying goodbye. All was a flurry of activity, and Lily loved it. 

And ahead of her, she saw a head of wild raven hair . . . 

She felt her heart leap into her throat, and simply watched, riveted, as James Potter boarded the train, laughing and chatting with three other boys, whom Lily recognized two of. The third one must have been Peter Pettidrew or whatever his name was; the tag-a-long.  

She sighed dreamily, lost in her world. Then a familiar voice called her name. She snapped back to reality and spun around. "Tanya!"

One of Lily's best friends came sprinting over, wheeling a trolley behind her and smiling broadly. "Oh, Lils, I'm so proud of you!" she squealed. "Head Girl!" 

A moment later, Lily was knocked forward as someone catapulted themselves at her. "Head Girl, Lily! We have to celebrate!"

"Val," she gasped, "you're choking me!"

Valerie quickly backed off and leapt in front of Lily, grinning like a maniac and hopping from one foot to the other. "Oooh, this is _wicked! We could do __anything and never get in trouble because the Head Girl is our best friend!" she said gleefully. _

Lily cleared her throat loudly, and, when Valerie couldn't hold still anymore and had to continue her odd victory dance, Tanya took the opportunity to talk to Lily.

"So, Lily," she shot her friend a sly look, "I heard that Mr. Perfect is going to be your partner this year."

Lily felt herself growing red immediately. "Yeah, James –"  her voice, to her horror, squeaked on the last letter – "Potter is Head Boy."

Tanya detected the wavering of her voice, and her hazel eyes lit up. "You like James, don't you?" 

"OW!"

A voice that was unmistably Valerie's let loose a string of colorful swear words. "Watch where you're going – Oh, hello, Mr. Head Boy . . ." 

Lily's stomach did an odd somersault as none other James Potter – _the_ James Potter – offered her friend a hand, looking bothered. "Sorry, but you kinda . . .  danced into me." A rather lop-sided grin lit his face, and now Lily's legs were jelly. 

"Valerie Longwood. And this young lady here is your new partner in crime for the next year: Lily Evans." 

James smiled brightly at Lily and offered her a hand to shake. "You must be the Head Girl! James Potter at your service, Miss Evans." 

Lily shook his hand and smiled back. "I'm sure we'll get along famously, Mr. Potter." 

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Yes, yet another L/J. I think it's some kind of disease. But a _good_ disease. *thinks about that* I know this was short (only 3 pages and 1,358 words) but the chapters will get longer. I promise. Anywhoo, if you like the way this story has started out, please review. *puppy dog eyes* Reviews, reviews for the poor . . . 

¤ Leaena ¤ 

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